The British empire reached its height in the 1920s and 1930s. However, by
this time large parts of the empire ruled themselves. By the late 1960s
most areas of the British empire ruled themselves, although they kept their
links with Britain as members of the Commonwealth.

So did Britain give up its empire or was it forced to give it up? What
other forces played a role in these developments. The key question in
this gallery
is: WHAT FACTORS CAUSED THE END OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE?

We cannot study all of the countries that became independent - there
are too many of them and they all became independent at different times.
We are going to see what factors emerge from case studies 1-4.

This
worksheet will help you plan and organise
your work.
Try the Quiz. How good are you at sorting out a big argument about the
British empire?
The overview will give you some background information.